Konrad

by Ashers, LeAnn

  She looks at the screen and her eyes widen. I look at Konrad, worried. “Okay, I think your IUD has fallen out, because you're pregnant.”

  I almost fall off the table in shock. “You’re around six weeks, if I had to guess. Congratulations.”

  We look at her like she’s crazy, then it slowly starts to sink in that I have a baby inside of my belly.

  I touch my stomach in disbelief before she turns on the sound of the heartbeat. I gasp at the beautiful sound.

  Konrad puts his hand over mine on my stomach, our eyes glued to the screen. I’m happy, but I’m just shocked that it happened like this because it’s so unexpected.

  I don’t even know how it fell out. I don’t even remember it, but maybe it’s God’s will that it happened like this, defying odds.

  “Alright, mom and dad, here are some prenatal vitamins and some pictures for you. Make another appointment at the front desk.”

  The doctor leaves me to get dressed. Konrad puts my pants on for me and I look down at the picture, happy. “We are going to have a baby,” I whisper in shock.

  He looks at the picture with me before laughing. “My mom had the right kind of juju.”

  I laugh at that because she did keep mentioning it. I kiss him softly and slip my shirt over my head. “You’re going to have to be careful, baby, especially with your missions now.”

  I nod in agreement. “I can stay in the vehicle until the place is cleared, then I can come in once it’s safe.”

  He cringes and I know that he doesn’t even want me to do that. “I’ll be safe and you will be with me,” I tell him, knowing that will make him feel better. He knows I’m buttering him up.

  We make the appointment and head next door for lunch at a little sub place.

  “I think I need to get some nutritious food for you. You need to eat better and more often.”

  Oh goodness, here we go.

  He starts making lists of things he thinks I will need and food that I need to get out of my diet, Googling everything.

  I prop my head on my hand, loving this, loving seeing the excited look on his face and knowing that he is so happy about it.

  I just know he is going to be an amazing dad and our baby will have an amazing life like he did.

  “Let’s go to the baby store right up the road, just to look.”

  “Okay, honey.” I kiss his cheek and eat my sub. He keeps his eye on me the whole time, making sure I eat every bite.

  Inside of the store, he goes over every single detail, looking at car seats, baby beds and debating which one is safest.

  “Do you think we should get this bassinet? It’s number one in safety.” He points to it and reads over the manual.

  “I think it’s really nice.”

  We waves over a worker. “We’ll take this and this,” he says, motioning to a body pillow for pregnant ladies.

  I am going to be spoiled and so is this baby. I hope it’s a boy that looks like him. “Ready to go home?”

  He’s carrying the bassinet in his arms and I’m following behind him, and he lets down the back of his truck, setting it in there.

  “I can’t wait to put it together.”

  14

  Etta

  Life at the compound is busier than ever. We have had a lot of girls join and some even showed up to the gate. That made me uneasy because they know of our location.

  Maci is helping me in the kitchen, getting dinner ready for everyone. I can’t get over how much she has changed and what time can do for someone. Same with Olivia—she is outside in the garden picking some green beans.

  “How are you settling?” I ask Maci.

  She grins. “Robert is doing great. Life is amazing here, and I’m so thankful for the life you have given us.” She hugs me slightly.

  I smile. “I’m so happy that I get to do this. If I didn’t have my brothers to take me in when I was eighteen and Lynn was sixteen with a toddler, our lives would have been so different.”

  She nods, saddened. “Yeah, I am so thankful for them too. I think that I want to start going on missions with you. You don’t need to do it alone anymore and you can use the help.”

  My heart sings with happiness at her volunteering, and it’s perfect timing since I’m pregnant. “I’m pregnant. Don’t tell anyone, but I was looking to have some help,” I tell her.

  Her eyes widen with happiness. “Oh my gosh, I am so excited for you and Konrad!” She wraps her arms around me, squeezing me tight.

  I am so excited to be a mother. Seeing the bassinet Konrad put together in my apartment makes me want to put her or him in it so bad.

  Konrad is out with the guys today at the club house and they’re going out on a ride. He didn’t want to leave me, but he still needs his friends.

  Maci lets me go. “This baby will be so loved by everyone. He or she will be raised by a village.”

  My heart warms at her words. “You girls are so important to me, thank you.” I hug her once more and she grins, going back to cleaning her dishes.

  We can see out into the huge backyard where a ton of kids are playing, and I love to see everyone together, happy and enjoying their life.

  “So Brian, huh?” I tease Maci, and she blushes furiously.

  “I don’t think he’s interested in me like that.”

  I give her a look. “Honey, you are all he talks about every time I’m around him.”

  She looks at me in shock. “Wait, he really does?”

  I nod, smiling. “He sure does. He is infatuated with you.”

  She looks down at the sink and smiles. I can tell she is happy. “He is a great guy. He’s coming over for dinner tonight.”

  I laugh. “No, he is not interested at all,” I joke, flicking her with the towel.

  She scoffs before she busts out laughing, her face still red with embarrassment. Lynn walks into the kitchen and Michaela runs out of the door into the backyard to where all of the kids are playing.

  “Hi, sis.” I hug her and she walks to the stove. “How is baby Zane?”

  Lynn smiles. “He’s with Tristan. They’re having a guys’ day together.” She has a blissful look on her face.

  We look at the kid outside of the window laughing at seeing Michaela playing baseball with the guys and her arm is like a noodle, barely able to throw the ball. “I don’t think softball will be her sport,” Lynn jokes and we all laugh.

  At the back of the property I see a few kids running from the trees. I walk out onto the porch to see if I can get a closer look at what is happening.

  It’s Robert.

  Maci gasps and starts running toward him. I follow her, and Lynn calls Michaela to her.

  When Robert reaches us, I can see the tears on his face. “They have Olivia! One girl came to the gate wanting in and Olivia let her in, but it was a bunch of men! They’re coming!” he says so quick I can barely understand him.

  As he finishes, a group of men walk through the woods, and front and center is Michael, his hand wrapped around Olivia’s neck with a gun to her head.

  They are dragging her along and she’s crying. I know she is scared out of her mind and I know she was afraid she was going to be taken again.

  That won’t happen with me around. I will fight to the death for these girls.

  I turn around to Lynn. “In the house. Call the guys.” She takes Michaela and runs into the house.

  Maci is standing next to me. “Robert, run now!” she urges him and he follows direction, running for the main house.

  The men stop fifty or so feet in front of us. My mind goes over a hundred different things that could happen and go wrong.

  At the back of the gate, I see twenty or thirty more guys show up from the tree line.

  We are under attack.

  “IN THE BUNKER!” I yell to all of the women, and they scramble, knowing exactly where to go.

  We have bunkers built under the ground for the women to escape to under the house. They know where the entrances are and the men w
on’t be able to get in.

  We planned for this to happen.

  Maci and I are standing in front of forty men, us against them, but I will face worse odds to save my girls.

  “Michael, I see your face is healing nicely,” I greet him, and he glares at me. I know that touched a nerve.

  He tightens his grip on Olivia, causing her to wince. “Look, we are here to get what is ours. If we get that, then we leave and no one else has to get hurt, like this sweet girl here.” He rubs his hand along Olivia’s cheek.

  He smiles at me, no it’s not a smile. His face is twisted with pure evil. “She reminds me of you at that age. I can smell the fear on her.” He puts his nose into the crook of her neck. “God, it even smells like you.”

  My heart is beating so fast. The fear I have for her right now is unreal. I smile, pretending. “If she reminds you so much of me, then why don’t you have me?” I lift my arms to the side slightly, motioning with my fingers to come here.

  His eyes widen at that. He is not expecting me to give myself up and he gets angry at that. I think he has lost his mind completely.

  All of the guys behind him are looking around the yard trying to spot their wives. They will never find them.

  I hope Lynn is hiding. “Maci, why don’t you run?” I whisper to her, but she shakes her head no and takes my hand in hers. “I will not leave you or her.”

  I let out a deep breath. “Let her go, Michael. She didn’t do anything.”

  He licks his lips, making a smacking sound. “But she is female. She was born to make a man sin.” He grips Olivia’s face hard so she is looking directly at us.

  Her eyes are killing me. God, this is all my fault. He came here for me. “But she does not belong to me. She is the wife of our leader.” He pats her head like she is a small child. “I am here to take her back to him.”

  Oh fuck.

  Maci takes in a sharp breath at the realization and so do I. This changes things and I know Michael may have been here for me but they are really here for Olivia.

  Olivia is looking at me with pure fear at the mention of the leader. Fuck me. This is so, so bad.

  This is more than bad. No wonder they sent so many fucking guys here today. I hope that I can just hold them off until the guys get here and then we can be okay.

  I have my gun in the back of my pants and I will use it if it comes down to it. Maci is holding onto my hand so tight I’m afraid she is going to break it.

  But I have to give her props right now. She is standing with me and facing down all of them and is not showing an ounce of fear.

  “Take me instead. You all know you want me. I have taken all of your wives,” I gloat and I look around the compound. This is all because of me and the guys in the MC backing me up.

  I can see the change in them instantly. I can see the anger in them that I have taken their wives.

  Legally they are not their wives, there are no marriage licenses, but in their eyes it doesn’t matter.

  I have what gave them power—they fed on causing them pain and hurting them.

  They thrived on that and now I imagine their embarrassment knowing they couldn’t keep their wives in check because they ran away and I took them.

  I have had a huge bounty on my head for years now, since the first year I started doing this because they think I am the devil reincarnate.

  I have seen sermons about me posted online, how I’m going to be the ruin of the world and I’m going to be the end of mankind.

  My pictures have been posted, but they are the ones from the day I was married and I know that Michael and my mother have faced hell in the church because of it.

  “What did you do to Cindy?” he asks me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  It confuses me why he is asking about my mom considering he left her there to face everyone.

  I look at him like he is stupid. “What do you think happened to her?” I ask.

  He shakes his head like he’s in disbelief. He loosens his grip on Olivia and I know to continue. “What are you saying!” he hisses at me, taking a step closer to me. Olivia falls to the side slightly.

  I smirk.

  He’s shaking from head to toe, and his eyes are weird as fuck. “She was your mother, you wouldn’t kill her!” he laughs, pointing a finger at me. “You almost got me.”

  I look at Maci and she gives me a look that tells me she’s thinking the same thing I am—this is his last straw.

  “I didn’t say I killed her,” I tell him in a tone that suggests that someone else finished the job.

  He stills and looks at me with such murder in his eyes. “You are dead.” He lets Olivia go, and as soon as he does so, a shot rings out, hitting Michael’s hand.

  He drops his gun and screams at the top of his lungs in pain. Olivia runs to Maci and Maci practically carries her into the compound, with me on their ass to make sure they get inside.

  I can hear the men running for us. I swear I can feel their breath on the back of my neck.

  I step inside of the house and slam the door, but it gets caught on Michael’s foot. Maci and Olivia press against the door with me to try to get it shut.

  “Fuck!” I yell, taking a running go to push the door. I know it has to be crushing his foot by the yelling, but he’s not taking his foot back.

  I can see the other guys running up going to help him and if they get to the door to help him, then it’s over for us.

  “Olivia, run!” I plead with her before they get inside of the house.

  She shakes her head. “I won’t leave you and Maci.”

  Just as they reach the door, Michael is looking at us through the window. I see him smirk at us thinking that he is going to win, but then his expression changes and he’s looking at something behind us.

  I look around and I see Ronny running through the house to us carrying a sniper rifle.

  Olivia gasps when she sees him. He pulls up my shirt and grabs my pistol out of the back pocket of my pants. He walks to the door, pointing the pistol at Michael’s foot and pulling the trigger.

  Boom

  Boom

  Boom

  Michael screams at the top of his lungs, falling back and clutching his foot. I slam the door shut, locking it and arming it, knowing it will be impossible for them to get in now.

  I turn around and look at Ronny in shock. I can’t believe he’s here, and just sixteen years old at that. “What are you doing here?” I ask him.

  He rolls his eyes at my motherly tone. Maverick and Bell are going to shit their pants. “I heard what was going on and I was closest, so I came here first.”

  He looks at Olivia, concerned. “You okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  Ronny is massive for sixteen—he is around six foot five and over two hundred pounds. He is a freaking pro at hockey already and probably the most beautiful kid I have ever seen with his green-blue eyes.

  She shakes her head no. “It just scared me is all, thank you for saving me.” She smiles sweetly at him.

  I think a feather could push him over. “It’s no big deal,” he says simply, but we are interrupted by Michael running into the door, trying to break in.

  “Come on, ladies. Let’s get you to the safe room.” Ronny motions for us to follow him, but I move Maci and Olivia in front of me. “You guys go on and I’m going to keep an eye on things.”

  Ronny nods. “I’ll be back, but I would get dressed up if I was you,” he says, like he’s a grown man, and I shake my head at that. I remember when he was a little boy, but now he’s bossing me around.

  I run to one of the spare armory rooms on the bottom floor. I get on my bulletproof vest first and put my gun strap on.

  I need to be ready for anything and I need to protect my baby in my stomach at all costs, along with these other ladies.

  This is the worst-case scenario that I thought would never happen, but here we are. All of the drills we have done have come to this, but right now?

  I am going to war.r />
  Ronny walks into the armory and we look at each other. “Ready for this?” he asks and I nod, preparing my gun.

  “Let’s do this.”

  15

  Etta

  They are banging on every single door of the house—the windows, everything, trying to find a way inside.

  I run upstairs to the roof of the house with Ronny. I can maybe start picking them off one by one from up here.

  I hear a loud noise by the gate where the others came through, and I almost fall to the floor at the sight of at least fifty more of the cult members running across the field, but they aren’t coming straight to the main house, no.

  They are running for the small cabins where all of the women live.

  Fuck.

  I take out my phone and I do a level five lockdown on every single cabin. I will get alerted if they manage to get inside.

  I pray to God everyone is safe.

  “We need to take them out.” I point to the ones running to the cabins and Ronny nods in agreement. “I was thinking the same fucking thing.”

  I am hit once again that he is sixteen years old. I put my hand on his arm to get his attention. “You don’t have to do this.”

  He stares at me deep in my eyes. “We protect our people.” That’s all the answer he gives me before he sets up his sniper rifle and lies down into position.

  I jump at the first sound of the bullet leaving the chamber and I see a body fall to the ground.

  I join him on the ground and point my own gun at one of the guys. Boom. He falls to the ground clutching his stomach. I know he is a goner.

  I see a gun flash in the light. I push Ronny’s head down right before a bullet strikes the walls by where we are lying.

  “How far out are the guys?” I ask Ronny while peeking over the wall.

  “They were an hour out when I talked to Mom. They should be here any minute.” I look back into my scope, taking another shot. All of the men are still trying to make their way in the house below.

  I can hear Michael trying to give orders and get help breaking in the front door, but it’s almost impossible for it to be broken into.